Coupler operating device



Julyl5, 1941. A. SMALL I COUPLER OPERATING DEVICE Filed April 28, 19:59

Patented July 15, 1941 orrlcs 7 2,249,184 COUPLER OPERATING DEVICE Arthur E. SmalLHammond, Ind., assignor to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application April 28, 1939, Serial No. 270,605

2 Claims. (Cl. 213-466) This invention relates to a device for operating a railway car coupler having a pivoted knuckle provided with a tail engageable with a knuckle lock to which such device is operatively connected. The invention relates specifically to a railway car coupler having an anti-creepfeature which is so formed that the lock can be raised to an unlocked position by the operating device, but cannot be raised by the creeping action of the lock due to the service movements of the .car. Some of such couplers are provided with a member mounted upon the coupler head for transmitting operating movement to the lock, and operable by the rotation of an operating rod attached thereto.

An object of the invention is to provide an operating rod for such a coupler having a shank which is so formed and associated with a handle pivotally connected to a bracket mounted on the car so as to stabilize the rod by gravity against a swinging movement of the handle which causes a rotative movement of the rod which would re lease the coupler anti-creep feature.

Another object is to positively restrict the swinging movement of the handle toward the car which by pendulum action would cause a swinging movement of the handle away from the car.

This objectionable swinging movement of the handle is caused by the irregular movements of the train in service, particularly the quick variationsin the speed of the train.

In the drawing:

Figs. 1 and 2 show a typical application of my device to a railway car coupler.

Figs. 3 and 4 show the relation of the operating rod, the handle and the supporting bracket.

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of the handle and its relation to the operating rod and the supporting bracket.

The car coupler 2 is resiliently mounted on the car and arranged to move longitudinally and laterally of the car to accommodate the service movements thereof. For description of the operation and component parts of an ordinary coupler, reference is made to Patent No. 1,639,300 of August 16, 1927, which coupler is not only typical as showing the relation of the knuckle and the look, but also shows the member 3 rotatably mounted on the coupler for transmitting the operating movements to the lock which comprises a substantially horizontally disposed eye 4 for reception of a hook 5 on the operating rod 6 whereby rotation of the rod rotates the rotor member and operates the coupler.

The coupler shown in Patent No. 1 639 300 of August 16, 1927, also illustrates a typical coupler anti-creep feature wherein the lower part of the knuckle lock is provided with an obliquely positioned slot which is engaged by the operating mechanism. The coupler head is provided with a projection which is so positioned that a part of the operating mechanism engages it and prevents the lock from creeping upwardly. When the operating rod is rotated the same part of the operating mechanism moves upwardly until it engages the upper part of the obliquely positioned slot, in which position it is free to .pass the projection on the coupler head and raise the coupler look.

In the preferred form of the device shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive the handle 9 is pivotally connected to bracket II] by means of a bolt it or any other suitable means.

The bracket I0 is preferably formed from a metallic plate and comprises a U shaped portion ll open at the top and at the end remote from the car, and flanges |2- |3 extending outwardly from the sides Ml5 respectively of the U shaped portion II at its end adjacent the car. The flanges I2-l3 are perforated so that the bracket l0 may be secured to the car by means of bolts or rivets. The sides l4l5 of the U portion H are each perforated, said perforations registering to permit the insertion of the bolt [6.

The operating rod is preferably formed from a round bar and comprises a shank 6 having the hook 5 at its inner end and having its outer end rebent to form an elongated eye I! adapted to slidably engage the handle 9 as shown in Fig. 3.

The handle 9 is preferably formed from a round bar and comprises a lower depending portion I8 and an upper angularly disposed portion I9 terminating in an eye 20 adapted to engage the bolt I6 thereby providing pivoting means for the handle. Figs. 3 and ll-clearly show this and in addition illustrate how the sides 14-45 of the bracket Ill engage the portion 19 of the handle to prevent lateral swinging of the handle and how the bottom 2| of the U portion of the bracket supports the handle portion 1 9 and positively prevents the handle 9 from swinging from its normal position toward the car. The handle is provided with the lugs 2223 extending at substantially right angles from the handle.and positioned below and parallel to the angularly disposed portion l9 so as to support the outer end of the operating rod. The handle is also provided with the lugs 2 i25 positioned above and parallel to the lugs 2223 respectively to prevent the eye H from sliding upwardly on the handle. Fig. 3 showing the bracket, the handle and the outer end of the rod as assembled clearly illustrates this.

When the handle 9 is swung outwardly by a trainman to operate the car coupler the handle and the outer portion of the rod are raised thus causing a tendency for handle and rod to return to normal position by gravity, whereby as soon as the operator releases the handle the gravitational force of the handle and rod tends to return them to their normal position so that the rod is stabilized against a rotative movement.

The eye i1 is of sufficient length to permit lateral movement of the coupler in service without having the closed ends of the eye contact the handle 9.

In my device the swinging of the handle toward the car is restricted by positive engagement of the parts while a swinging movement of the handle away from the car is restricted by gravity only. If the handle was permitted to swing in one direction it would develop an inertia force which would swing the handle in the opposite direction, therefore, it is preferable to provide means to stabilize the rod in either direction.

Fig. shows a modified construction wherein the handle 40 is formed to a configuration 42 adapted to slidably engage the sides 43-44 of an elongated eye formed at the outer end of the operating rod. The upper end of the handle 40 is provided with the angularly disposed portion 45 terminating in an eye 46 adapted to engage a bolt 4'! associated with a bracket 48 so as to function similarly to the device described in connection with Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a railway car provided with a laterally movable coupler having a lock movable in the coupler head, a lifter arm pivoted at one end to the coupler and operatively connected at the other end to said lock, and means to rotate said arm, said means comprising a rod operatively connected at its inner end to said arm, a bracket secured to said car, a handle pivoted to said bracket and comprising a portion in a vertical plane spaced from the pivot, a pair of diametrically opposed slots in said portion, the outer end of said rod being formed with a substantially horizontal elongated eye having said portion extending therethrough with the opposite sides of said eye engaged in said slots, whereby the weight of said portion and said rod opposes by gravity upward swinging of said handle.

2. In a railway car provided with a laterally movable coupler having a lock movable in the coupler head, a lifter arm pivoted at one end to the coupler and operatively connected at the other end to said lock, and means to rotate said arm, said means comprising a rod operatively connected at its inner end to said arm, a bracket secured to said car, a handle pivoted to said bracket and comprising a portion in a vertical plane spaced from the pivot, a pair of diametrically, opposed lugs protruding from said portion, a second pair of diametrically opposed lugs also protruding from said portion in spaced relation to said first mentioned pair, the outer end of said rod being formed with a substantially horizontal elongated eye having said portion extending therethrough with the opposite sides of said eye engaged between said first mentioned and second mentioned lugs, whereby the weight of said portion and said rod opposes by gravity upward swinging of said handle.

ARTHUR E. SMALL. 

